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THE TYCHOPELAGIC DIATOM, PARALIA SULCATA , AS PALEOINDICATOR SPECIES IN COASTAL MARINE ENVIRONMENTS
Author(s) -
McQuoid M.R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1046/j.1529-8817.1999.00001-139.x
Subject(s) - benthos , fjord , biology , benthic zone , diatom , ecology , context (archaeology) , abundance (ecology) , plankton , habitat , range (aeronautics) , sediment , oceanography , paleontology , geology , materials science , composite material
Paralia sulcata is a diatom commonly found in both the plankton and benthos of coastal environments. This species is heavily silicified and, thus preserves well in sedimentary records making it a potentially useful paleoindicator species. However, its tychopelagic nature and its association with a wide range of environmental conditions have made detailed paleoecological interpretations complicated. High‐resolution sediment records from coastal fjords in both Canada and Sweden show variations in the abundance and morphology of P. sulcata that provide evidence of changes in benthic habitat distribution and surface water properties in the fjords on timescales of decades to centuries. These studies suggest that P. sulcata can be an important paleoindicator species when interpretations are made in the context of its complex ecology.